1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a novel music notation implement, which substitutes a conventional music paper, and also relates to a music.
2. Description of Related Art
Conventionally, a musical composition has been represented on a music paper with use of staves. On this conventional music paper, a note on the first line represents the tone E and a note on the fifth line represents the tone F in conformity with a treble clef. Therefore, it is impossible to tangibly show ranging octaves in a musical scale on such conventional music papers. In addition, since such notes that do not fit in the conventional staves are presented by using auxiliary lines (upper auxiliary lines or lower auxiliary lines), it requires skill to read music score represented on such conventional music papers.
Moreover, though all notes of the musical scale in C major can be represented at certain positions on a conventional paper, musical scales in other keys cannot be presented thereon without using sharps or flats. Besides, musical intervals do not always agree with the positional differences on the conventional music paper. For example, the musical interval between the tone E and the tone G, which are respectively presented on the first line and the second line, is one and a half tones, while the musical interval between the tone G and the tone B, which is presented on the third line, is two tones.
As a result, it is extremely difficult to know the difference in sounds of chords by seeing notes presented on the conventional music.
Furthermore, since a chromatic scale is presented by the use of sharps or flats, musical scales are divided into either of the sharp system or the flat system. Accordingly, although tones in B major are the same with those in C-flat major, they are represented in different manners by using sharps or flats. The same can be said to the tones in C-sharp major against the tones in D-flat major as well as the tones in F-sharp major against the tones in G-flat major. This is very confusing and often gives a learner such an illusion that a scale in B major and that in C-flat major are composed of different tones.
To solve the above-mentioned problems of the conventional music paper, the applicant has proposed such a music that has upper and lower base lines, a middle line aligned between the base lines, and auxiliary lines which are drawn between the base line and middle line in case of necessity and equally divides a space between the base line and the middle line into three, and wherein a sequence of tones are represented as notes placed on the lines or in intermediate spaces between the lines (Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 5-44152).
However, the proposed music involves the following problems.
First of all, since the auxiliary lines are individually drawn at the time when corresponding notes are written down on the music, it is difficult to draw such auxiliary lines at an accurate level and the resulting music tends to be hard to read.
Secondly, in a case where the music is written for a keyboard instrument, it is difficult to know whether a note indicates a black key or not, since no sharp or flat is used in this music.
In the third place, since notes ranging over several octaves are presented in the same manner on this music, it is difficult to plainly show what level of pitch a certain musical scale represents with use of the conventional treble clef and bass clef.
Accordingly, the present invention provides a music notation implement, which comprises a plurality of base lines aligned parallel to one another at a preset distance, a middle line positioned in the center between every adjoining two base lines and parallel to the base lines; and two auxiliary lines aligned between one of the base lines and the middle line, which auxiliary lines equally trisecting a space between the base line and the middle line and being presented in such manner that the auxiliary lines are distinguishable from the base lines and the middle line; and wherein a sequence of chromatic tones are represented as notes placed on the lines or in intermediate spaces between the adjoining lines, and a series of numbers or letters, or an illustration of a keyboard, which respectively indicates a corresponding level of musical scale is shown between the adjoining base lines.
This music notation implement may be formed as a sheet music when the above-mentioned lines are drawn on a sheet such as a piece of paper, or may be formed as a program that shows such musical score on a display of personal computer or the like.
Such series of numbers or letters that indicate a level of musical scale can be 1, 2, 3, . . . , or A, B, C, . . . , corresponding to each tone interval respectively. It is also possible to mark the tone interval according to treble clef by using the number 0, and then to indicate higher tone intervals by the use of numbers 1, 2, . . . and lower tone intervals by the use of numbers xe2x88x921, xe2x88x922, . . . in this order.
With use of the above-described constitution, even a musical composition which ranges over several octaves can be presented while clearly showing its musical intervals.
The middle line is preferably presented in such manner that the middle line is distinguishable from the base lines, and the auxiliary lines are preferably presented in a color, which is not visible on a photocopy when photocopied by an electronic copying machine.
The invention provides a music notation, in which a musical note corresponding to a black key of a keyboard is marked by a black key indicating symbol. As examples of such black key indicating symbol, mention may be made to a white dot in the center of a black note head and a black dot in the center of an outlined note head (such as a whole note and a half note), in addition to a slash shown in the following preferred embodiment. The invention also may provide a music, in which a distinguishing symbol representing a black key is shown at level positions of the music corresponding to black keys on a keyboard. As examples of such distinguishing symbol, mention may be made to an illustration of a keyboard corresponding to the musical score and marks such as asterisks which are shown on such levels of the musical score that correspond to black keys on a keyboard instrument.
The inventions also may be applied to a conventional music paper. The tones within an octave can be presented with use of two base lines of the present invention. However, it is preferable to use three or more base lines in a practical case. When only two base lines are used in the present invention, those base lines and a middle line can be presented in the same manner. On the other hand, when three or more base lines are used, it is necessary to present the middle lines in such a manner that the middle lines are distinguishable from the base lines. In order to accomplish this object, the middle lines may be distinguished by using colors different from the color of the base lines, or by representing the middle lines as dotted lines or chain lines. It is also possible to distinguish the middle lines from the base lines by putting a mark such as a black circle on the end of the middle lines.
As a color which is not visible when photocopied by an electronic copying machine, mention may be made of waterish blue and extremely light gray.
Incidentally, not only a musical note-notational portion presented on a sheet of paper but also that presented on a synthetic resin sheet, or some other flexible material are within the scope of the present invention.
According to the present invention, two auxiliary lines are provided between one of the base line and the middle line to equally divide a space between the base line and the middle line into three, so that a sequence of chromatic tones are represented as notes placed on the lines or in intermediate spaces between the lines. This means that notes within an octave are presented between two adjoining base lines. Therefore, according to the present invention, it is possible to tangibly show ranging octaves in a continued scale.
As a result, every pair of adjoining notes are presented on the music notation implement according to the present invention with a half tone difference from each other and thus, the difference in the level between two notes on this music notation implement agrees with the musical interval of such two notes. Consequently, chords are easier to understand. Moreover, because the tones of a musical interval heard by one""s ear and the difference between notes on this three-line score completely agree with each other in the movement of tone, it is easy to acquire a good ear for music using this scor, and even a perfect ear for music can be easily acquired. Furthermore, all the notes which have been presented on a conventional sheet music with the use of sharps or flats can be presented on the music notation implement according to the present-invention without using sharps and flats. Accordingly, an unskilled person who does not understand the music scores presented on a conventional sheet music can read a key to be played like reading a tabbed score for guitars and thus can play the piano easily.
In addition, since the auxiliary lines are provided beforehand, it is no longer necessary to determine a position for an auxiliary line at the time when the individual notes are written down on the music notation implement, thereby making it easy to accurately position the individual notes. Because the auxiliary lines according to the present invention are presented in a color, which is not visible on a copy when photocopied by an electronic copying machine, a photocopied musical score written down by tracing the auxiliary lines provided beforehand does not show the auxiliary lines where they are not needed.
Using the sheet music according to the present invention, it is easy to recognize notes corresponding to black keys by symbols indicating the black keys shown as a diagonal lines across the note heads, or the like.